Can You Get a Backlink from Press Release Submission?

The Short Answer: Yes and No — But Mostly No.

You can technically get a backlink from a press release submission, but it’s not a viable or effective link-building strategy. If you’re considering the potential for SEO growth from press releases, keep in mind that most backlinks from press releases are either ignored by Google or nofollow, or they become lost in unindexed pages.

This is even more true when using automatic press release submission services — those bogus options sold to you with the idea that in seconds, they’ll send your release out to “hundreds of news outlets. It’s guaranteed!”

Why Most Press Release Backlinks Will Not Benefit Your SEO

There are many companies in the world of press release submission that create opportunities to give “instant” publishing. The sales pitch sounds great: submit once, get the backlinks on hundreds of big news sites.

What’s the downside?

• They go onto automated feed pages and subdomains with little SEO authority.
• They are excluded from search engine indexing by robots.txt or noindex.
• The majority of them are nofollow, meaning they give no PageRank value.
• Even if you receive a link that is indexable, it’s random, an accident — not something you can replicate or scale.

So if you’re seeking a Press Release to be a link-building tactic, don’t. It’s neither a cheap nor worthwhile venture.

But What If You Need To Make a Press Release?

That being said, press releases are valuable in terms of announcements, credibility, branding purposes, and exposure to the media.

So if you’re thinking that your business or PR reasons need a release and you want a backlink in return, there are better ways to go about it.

What Works: Editorial Placement Over Automated Feeds

If you want a backlink that Google sees — and acknowledges — your press release has to be placed:

• On a front-facing, indexable area of an actual media website,
• With a dofollow link,
• In a way that also makes the link relevant and natural.

This means looking for companies that provide editorial placements. These are placement options pitched directly to actual journalists and editors that work in your industry.

But here’s the downside: it’s expensive. Tier-one PR companies will cost thousands of dollars per placement, making it impractical if your sole goal is to get a few links.

A Better Alternative: Targeted Outreach with Links Guaranteed

A company like Search Authority Solutions offers a more affordable route.

• They won’t send your press release through the automated process; they will hand-select 5–7 outlets where it makes sense.
• They will pitch your release to industry-relevant journalists, based upon niche and geo-focus.
• If you are in fintech, they’ll find these relevant, associated reporters in the country you desire.
• Then your press release will go live on an actual indexable page with a dofollow backlink, all for a fraction of the largest tiered firms.

This is a perfect solution for anyone who plans to put something out anyway and also wants the SEO benefit.

Summary

If you want backlinks, press releases should not be your primary link-building strategy. The vast majority are unindexed by Google, ineffective for SEO gains, and not worth your funds.

But should there be a reason to send a press release — and care about SEO — then:

• Do not use automatic submission options that will send your release to worthless feed networks.
• Instead, seek out manual, journalist-driven outreach services that can get your release on indexable, authoritative pages.
• Or ensure press releases are part of larger digital PR or content campaigns that also do something for SEO.

If done right, your release can enhance your branding and give great visibility — but it takes more than just hitting submit.